Nationals 6, Rockies 1
WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg, showing flashes of past dominance, struck out a season-high 12 batters with no walks in his return from the disabled list and added a career-high three hits as the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 6-1 on Saturday night.
Strasburg (6-5) allowed three hits and one run in seven innings for his first win at home since June 23 against the Atlanta Braves. It was the 17th time he reached double digits in strikeouts in a game. His career best is 14 in his major league debut in 2010.
The right-hander struck out at least one batter each inning and fanned every starter in the Colorado lineup at least once except left fielder Brandon Barnes. First baseman Ben Paulsen and second baseman DJ LeMahieu whiffed in their three trips to the plate against Strasburg, who threw only 91 pitches.
Washington (57-52) won for just the third time in nine games and Colorado (46-62) fell to 21-33 on the road. The Nationals pulled within 1 1/2 games in the National League East of the first-place New York Mets, who lost 5-4 at Tampa Bay.
The Nationals made it 6-1 in the seventh with an RBI single by first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, his second run-scoring hit of the game. Right fielder Bryce Harper, who also had two hits, then scored when left fielder Clint Robinson hit into the fourth double play of the night by Washington.
Blake Treinen came on to pitch a scoreless eighth for the Nationals and Matt Thornton took over in the ninth to get the last three outs.
The losing pitcher was Colorado starter Eddie Butler (3-9), a Virginia native who has not won for the Rockies since May 30. He gave up four runs, eight hits and four walks in six innings.
Center fielder Charlie Blackmon had two doubles for the Rockies against Strasburg, who had his way with the rest of the lineup. Washington shortstop Ian Desmond also had two hits.
The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run double to right center by catcher Wilson Ramos.
Washington made it 3-0 in third on an RBI single that trickled through the middle by Desmond, which gave him 11 RBIs in his last 16 games.
Colorado third baseman Nelson Arenado hit his 27th homer -- a solo shot in the fourth into the Rockies' bullpen in left -- to trim the margin to 3-1 against Strasburg.
Zimmerman lined an RBI double off the wall in left to make it 4-1 in the fifth against Butler, who is from the same Tidewater region of Virginia as Zimmerman.
Strasburg, who came off the disabled list for his first start since July 4, entered the game with a 5-5 record and a 5.16 ERA in 13 starts. Last year, he had a 3.14 ERA and led the National League in strikeouts with 242 strikeouts in 34 starts.
Strasburg hit 98 mph on the stadium radar to the first batter he faced, Blackmon. The leadoff hitter stroked a double but was left stranded as Strasburg retired the next three hitters.
At the plate, Strasburg had two singles in his first two at-bats after he entered the game hitless in 16 trips to the plate in 2015.
Butler was pitching in front of family, friends and former teammates at Radford University in southwest Virginia. He grew up in Chesapeake, about four hours southeast of the nation's capital.
Butler allowed four runs in the first five innings but escaped further damage by inducing double plays in the first, third and fourth.
NOTES: Washington RF Bryce Harper entered Saturday having reached base in eight of his last 10 at-bats. He was leading the majors in on-base average at .463, and is far above some of his everyday teammates, including LF Jayson Werth (.258), SS Ian Desmond (.267) and C Wilson Ramos (.265). ... The series ends Sunday with Washington RHP Max Scherzer (11-8, 2.31) facing Colorado LHP Yohan Flande (2-1, 3.54). ... Rockies 1B Carlos Gonzalez, who hit a grand slam on Friday, entered Saturday with 23 home runs and 60 RBIs. Last year he hit 11 home runs and his career high was 34 in 2010. Since the All-Star break, he leads the National League with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs. ... The Nationals went 20-5 from late April to May 25 to improve to 27-18. Since then they were only 29-34 in games through Friday.